Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to rechargeable batteries. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to high-density precursors for the manufacture of composite-layered metal oxide cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.
Related Art
Rechargeable batteries are widely used for energy storage in a variety of consumer, medical, aerospace, defense, and/or transportation applications. The most commonly used type of rechargeable battery is a lithium battery, which can include a lithium-ion or a lithium-polymer battery. As battery-powered devices become increasingly small and more powerful, batteries powering these devices need to store more energy in a smaller volume. Thus, a key requirement of secondary (i.e., rechargeable) batteries for consumer electronic device applications is high volumetric energy density.
A secondary lithium-ion battery provides a high specific capacity, good cycleablility and high energy density that can be used safely. A secondary battery includes a positive electrode (cathode), a negative electrode (anode), an electrolyte, and a separator. Normally, the current commercial cathode for consumer electronics devices is layered lithium cobalt oxide, or LiCoO2. To achieve a high energy density for the cathode, lithium cobalt oxide should have a large particle size with a uniform distribution and low surface area. Preferably, the median particle size D50 is greater than 15 microns, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area is less than 0.5 m2/g.
Currently, LiCoO2 is prepared by calcining Co3O4 with Li2CO3 at high temperatures (800-1020° C.) to get large particles. However, the use of high temperatures to produce large particles may result in difficulties in obtaining a uniform particle distribution, batch-to-batch reproducibility and/or control of chemical stoichiometry.
Consequently, use of batteries in portable electronic devices may be improved by techniques for manufacturing high-volumetric-density active material compositions with uniform particle distributions, batch-to-batch reproducibility and/or control of chemical stoichiometry.